Automobile rear end construction



R. POTOCNIK Feb. 17, 1959 'AUTOMOBILE REAR END CONSTRUCTION Filed N07. 25, 195 3 zwwFFFJSZ-z firronusv United StatesPatent O 2,873,998 AUTOMOBILE REAR EN D 'CONSTRUCTION Rudolph Potocnik, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware I Application November 23, 1953, Serial No. 393,629

2'Claims. (Cl. 296-28) This invention relates to an automobile rearend construction, and'more particularly to an automobile rear end construction utilizing'a removable lower deck body panel.

In conventional automobile'a'ssembly operations,- the automobile chassis moves along an assembly line and the body is lowered as a unit onto the chassis and secured in place by bolts or other means. Such a means of asserm bly precludesfthe use of body panels which underlie the automobile chassis. Thisinvention provides an improved construction in which the rear transverse body panel has a curved portion extending below and underlying the rear transverse chassis member, and means are provided for mounting this panel inabutting relation to the main body structure after the main body structure has been mounted on the chassis. The provision of a rear body panel which underlies the rear chassis member improves the appearance of the car and also provides protection for the connections between the chassis and the body in forming a protective shield below these connections.

Other features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a (fragmentary rear perspective view of the rear portion of an automobile, including the improved structure;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section through the rear end of the car of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of Fig. 2.

Referring now more'particularly to the drawings, the automobile of Fig. 1 has a conventionally constructed chassis including a channel-shaped longitudinal chassis member 10 and a channel-shaped transverse rear chassis member 11. The main body structure of that portion of the automobile which is illustrated in the drawings includes rear fenders 12 and 13 and a hinged deck lid 14 (Fig. 1), and a rear transverse'body brace 16 and a floor pan 20 (Figs. 2 and 3). Brace 16 lies immediately to the rear of chassis member 11. The body preferably, but not necessarily, is made of plastic, and is mounted on the chassis by means of bolts, one bolt which secures.

the rear transverse brace 16 to the rear end of the chassis being shown at 18 in Figs. 2 and 3. The automobile floor pan 20 is mounted on the chassis by means of spacer supports 21 and is insulated from the chassis by a rubber block 22.

In conventional automobile assembly operations the automobile body is lowered as a unit onto the chassis as the chassis moves along the assembly line. In order to assemble the automobile in this manner, of course, no

part of the body can underlie the chassis; but when the conventional rear bumper is replaced by bumperettes as illustrated in the drawings, the appearance of the rear end of the automobile may be improved by forming the rear end of the body with a forwardly extending portion which underlies the rear transverse chassis member 11. In addition to improving the appearance, this construc- 2,873,998 K, Patented Feb. 17, 1959 main body structure, there is a removable rear transverse body panel having a forwardly extending portion underlying the rear transverse chassis member 11, and means are provided'for mounting this panel in abutting relation to the main body structure after the main body structure has been mounted on the chassis.

-As shown in Fig. 2, the rear transverse brace 16' of the main body structure has rearwardly offset portions 23 so that the opposite side portions 24 of this panel are spacedrearwardly from the rear chassis member 11, and a removable rear body panel 26 is mounted in abutting relation to the main body parts. Panel 26 extends transversely across the lower rear portion of the car between V the fenders 12 and 13 and has a curved portion 27 (Fig.

3) extending below and underlying the chassis member 11. The top edge 28 of the panel 26 abuts and dicetively forms a continuation of the body contour of the deck lid 14, a Weatherstrip 30 being mounted in a retainer 31 to form a seal for the lower edge of the deck lid 14. At its ends the panel 26 abuts the offset portion 24 of body brace 16. A backing plate 32 is secured to the panel 26, said panel having side flanges 34 (Fig. 2) and the backing plate 32 having complementary flanges 35 which may be fused to the flanges 34 if the plate and panel are made of plastic, or which may be welded if the parts are made of metal. The backing plate" 32 has an upper flange 36 (Fig. 3) and a lower flange 37 which may similarly be fused or welded, to the inner surface of the rear panel 26. Suitable openings may be formed in the backing plate 32 to permit access to the mounting screws.

After the main body structure has been lowered onto the chassis, the removable assembly comprising the panel 26 and the backing plate 32 may be mounted, the plate 32 being connected to the body by bolt 38 and being connected to the chassis by bolt 18. A rubber block 40 is mounted in the chassis connection for a purpose to be hereinafter described. 7

A plurality of bumperettes 42 are mounted on the rear body panel 26, but the construction is such that bumperette shocks are not absorbed solely by the body, but are transmitted in part to the chassis despite the fact that the bumperettes are connected directly only to the body panel 26. In order to provide increased strength and to improve the appearance, the panel 26 is formed with a plurality of spaced parallel thickened vertical ribs 44, and one of the bumperettes 42 is mounted on each rib, the rib shape being complementary to the shape of the bumperette as shown best in Figs. 2 and 4. Bolts 46 secure the bumperettes to the panel 26.

While the bumperettes are mounted on the body panel 26, this body panel is connected to the chassis member 11 through yieldable backing means including the backing plate 32 and the rubber block 40, so that in the event of a shock on the bumperettes the force is transmitted to the chassis through this yieldable backing and the body will not be damaged by a shock of the same magnitude which can be absorbed without damage with conventional automobile bumper construction. The body panel 26 may be formed of metal or plastic, but preferably it is formed of plastic to provide added resilience to absorb shocks without permanent deformation, and a plastic body reinforced by the ribs 44 and provided with this bumperette construction will absorb without damage a shock substantially equal to the greatest shock which can be absorbed without damage when conventional bumper construction is used.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: e

v 1 In an automobile having separate chassis and body portions, 21 rear end construction of the character described, including: a rear chassis member; a main body structure having a portion located rearwardly of said chassis member; means for mounting said main body structure atop the chassis; a rear body panel having a curvedportion extending below and being spaced from and underlying said chassismember; a backing platehaving a base portion spaced from said rear body panel and peripheral flanges abutting said rear body panel and connected thereto; and means securing the base portion of said plate to said main body structure and to said chassis member after the main body structure has been mounted on the chassis, at least a part of the base portion of said backing plate lying in abutting relation to said main body structure.

2. In an automobile having separate chassisand body portions, a rear end construction of the character described, including: a rear transverse chassis member; a main body structure having a portion located rearwardly of said chassis member; means for mounting said main body structure atop the chassis; a plastic transverse rear body panel having a forwardly curved portion extending below and being spaced from and underlying said chassis member; a backing plate having a base portion spaced from said rear body panel and peripheral flanges abutting said rear body panel and connected to said panel; and means bolting the base portion of said backing plate to said main body structure and to said chassis member after the main body structure has been mounted on the chassis, at least a part of the base portion of said backing plate lying in abutting relation to said main body structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,062,327, Morrison Dec. 1, 1936 2,167,376 Schuli July 25, 1939 2,194,459 Frank Mar, 26, 1940 2,246,616 Cherry June 24, 1941 2,585,530 Bennett Feb. 12, 1952 2,706,055 Nichols Apr. 12, 1955 2,733,096 Waterhouse et al. Jan. 31, 1956 2,796,286 Barenyi June 18, 1957 

